In an effort to continue reducing my ink collection and to better “learn” the inks I have, I decided to tackle Ink Journal’s 30 Inks 30 Days challenge as ink comparisons. And, in a happy nod to Pride Month, I went for a rainbow of inks. I made an effort to create doodles that have both standard lines (to show how writing might look) and larger, filled-in areas.
Like any human, I made mistakes as I worked through the 15 skirmishes. Since I want the focus to be on the inks, I’ve edited out the mistakes using Photoshop for the “final” image. However, for transparency, I’ve also included the “original” version without those edits. I’ve done my best to edit the ink colors to be true-to-life, but some of them were exceptionally difficult.
Each skirmish includes:
- a photo taken in white light
- that same photo with mistakes removed (this wasn’t needed on all comparisons)
- the “perfected” photo edited to highlight which ink is where on the page
- a photo taken in yellow light
I hope you enjoy this skirmish series!
Pink: Anderillium Rosy Maple Moth Pink and Pilot Iroshizuku Hana Ikada
You may recall that I already booted Hana Ikada, but I forgot about that when I chose the comparison color for this set. These two are incredibly similar, with Rosy Maple Moth Pink only a bit more vibrant, and now I need to compare it to Sakura Mori to see if I can justify buying a bottle.
“Burgundy”: Laban Aphrodite Pink and Colorverse Sea Europa
I’ve been meaning to compare these two inks for a long time, and I’m surprised by just how different they are. I enjoy both, and I’m happy that this comparison shows that there’s no reason to get rid of either.
Red: Wearingeul Anna Karenina and J. Herbin Rouge Grenat
These two are very difficult to distinguish in base color — Anna Karenina has shimmer — so I relegated the Anna Karenina ink sample to the “for dupes” section of my collection.
Orange: Diamine Pumpkin and The Good Blue Launch
I’m pretty sure my sample of Launch has evaporated quite a bit since I got it, so I’m not sure that the color is true to the original. That said, there is a notable difference between the two, with Launch being darker.
“Yellow Orange”: Lamy Bronze and Diamine Peach Punch
These two aren’t as close as I thought they were, with Bronze notably brighter and more orange than Peach Punch. This does mean, though, that I now need to compare Peach Punch to Colorverse Space Needle.
Yellow: Colorverse Ornament Yellow and Christmas Star
This is another set that is less similar than I expected. Christmas Star is much more orange than Ornament Yellow. I wish I could steal the shimmer from Christmas Star to put into Ornament Yellow, since I like it better. I think my search for a readable true yellow continues.
Gold: J. Herbin Ambre de Birmanie and Robert Oster African Gold
This one was just a curiosity comparison, and really, other than both being gold inks, there isn’t much similarity here.
Green 1: Diamine The Great Wall of China and Wearingeul Tom Sawyer
There is a notable difference between these two, with Tom Sawyer being more muted than Great Wall. I like them both, but I think I need to compare Tom Sawyer to Colorverse Walk the Dog and Colorverse Hwang Cho.
Green 2: Taccia Uguisu Olive and Sailor Many Ukikusa
I had samples of both of these, and have decided to relegate both to the “for dupes” bins. Under white light, these two are virtually indistinguishable, but under yellow light, Uguisu Olive is significantly more yellow.
Teal: Van Dieman’s Catnip and Anderillium Luna Moth Green
This comparison was the hardest to edit. The colors are the least true-to-life, unfortunately. They are nearly identical in value (lightness), but Catnip is green-leaning and a bit muted, while Luna Moth Green is more blue-leaning. I think I’ve cleared the way to getting a bottle of Catnip.
Turquoise: Herbin Turquoise de Perse and J. Herbin Bleu Calanque
While it’s easy to tell the difference between these two when they’re next to each other on the page — Bleu Calanque is darker and Turquoise de Perse has gold shimmer — I think anyone would be hard pressed to pick up a pen with one of these inks in it and tell you which one it is. I’d suggested choosing based on price and/or shimmer. I’m debating moving Turquoise de Perse to my “for use” bin since I don’t have a turquoise with shimmer.
Blue: Pilot Iroshizuku Kon Peki and Robert Oster Soda Pop
Under white light, these two are very difficult to tell apart. Under yellow light, thought, Soda Pop is greener. This is another set of inks that I don’t think someone could tell you which is which if just handed a pen with one of the inks in it. We recently ran out of Kon Peki, and I don’t think we’ll replace it until we run out of Soda Pop.
Blue-Gray: Ink Institute Light Blue Whale and Wearingeul Moby Dick
There is a slight difference between these two, with Light Blue Whale being more gray. But again, good luck telling them apart if someone just gives you a pen with one of these inks in it. Since I have a bottle of Light Blue Whale, I don’t need to get Moby Dick, and will relegate that sample to the dupes bins.
Blurple: Kobe #56 Rokko Shichidanka and Pennonia Autumn Aster
This comparison was supposed to be between Birmingham Pen Co Wisteria and Kobe #56. Unfortunately, my sample of Wisteria had gone gummy, so I had to pivot to Autumn Aster. I enjoy both of these inks, so I’m happy to see that other than both being blurples, there’s really no comparison here.
Purple: Dominant Industry Sunset and Ink Institute Okanagan Grape
Another happy comparison where I can justify keeping both inks. I thought these two were more similar and wasn’t looking forward to booting a friend’s collab, but thankfully, Okanagan Grape is significantly darker, and I think a hint pinker, than Sunset.
What do you think of these skirmishes? Do you agree with my decisions? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
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